Hermions ABC
by Hermions
Summary: A series of HaoYoh centric drabbles, one version of each word by two different authors. Features AU, canon, and heavily implied or descriptive TWINCEST, as well as other creepy fruits. Not for children. Z is for 'Zero tolerance'. COMPLETE
1. A: April 23rd

April 23rd had no real meaning, no real importance… but it did for Yoh. It had to. If it didn't for Yoh, then who…? Because April 23rd was a special day. It was the day that Anna died. It was the day that Amidamaru left. It was the day that Hao first kissed him. It was the day that everything ended.

And that made it important.

…At least to Yoh.

* * *

It's by no means an important day for anyone.

It's not their first time (Hao wouldn't care) or an anniversary (not that Yoh had ever remembered one of those) or some sort of religious day of importance (Neither would have even attempted to pretend, not even for Christmas, because they didn't care for it and when they wanted to give the other something, they didn't wait for a specific day).

It is, however, the day Yoh blinks as if he'd just awoken from a dream and asks for the date, and when his brother answers he just curls closer.

It should by no means be an important day for anyone, least of all them, but somehow it seems it is.


	2. B: Blood

"Do you know what causes you to get an erection? Or did you sleep through that particular lesson?" Hao asked teasingly, trailing his tongue over the underside of his brother's hardened length.

"I-I don't… Ah…" Yoh squeezed Hao's shoulders, fingers digging erotically into tan flesh. The older boy smirked, pressing a kiss to his brother's stiff, pulsing flesh.

"An erection happens when the corpora cavernosa becomes engorged with blood." Hao explained, almost laughing.

Yoh nodded dumbly as if he was actually listening to what his twin was saying and Hao rewarded him by puffing out a warm breath to the tip of his erection before taking it into his mouth.

"Mmmm" The younger boy bit his lip lightly, face flushing as he looked down at Hao, who was looking up right back at him, glee shining in his eyes at the vulnerable state his brother was in.

Hao's lips curled into a smile around Yoh, his hands rising to grab his little twin's hips to stop him from thrusting into his mouth. The younger boy moaned softly, slowly pulling his nails out of Hao's shoulders, leaving light indentations.

"Hao…"

Hao drew back then, mouth leaving Yoh's cock while his hands didn't move from the other's hips. The shorter boy's eyes widened at the movement, and he struggled to move forward, a whine caught in his throat.

"I'm glad you learned something today, Yoh. Make sure not to forget it, it could be important later on in life." Hao said, pulling his hands away, causing Yoh to slide to the floor.

The older boy stood, leaned over and patted his brother's cheek lightly before turning and walking out of the bathroom, leaving poor Yoh sitting on the floor, legs spread wide in an invitation his twin had declined.

* * *

There's blood on him, and he wonders why he is thinking of a sword. 

Red, hot and sticky covers him, and he can't understand the reason his eyes look around for a river full of corpses in which to dump the bloodied broken slab of a sword he doesn't have.

Instead there is desert, light blue flames, and a boy that is him lying on the sand, spreading the red that covers him, and he wonders why he thinks he's lived this already and all of this is wrong, wonders why are there tears on his eyes this time when there should be none.

"Goodbye…"


	3. C: Chain

In Hao's group, there were two chains. The chain of command and the chain of punishment. The chain of command was a figurative thing, which consisted of: Hao is ALWAYS right… but the chain of punishment was an all too physical thing.

Yoh learned that rather quickly after joining with Hao.

And in Hao's group, there were two ways to use the chain of punishment. Pleasure and _pain_. The pleasure was a fake thing that didn't deserve to be emphasized, fake and pathetic… but the _pain_ was…

The _pain_ was the thing that Yoh liked most. It was the thing that he always tried to earn. And Hao was all too happy to give it.

After all, it was the thing that Hao liked most as well.

* * *

He is an Asakura.

He is the only Heir.

He is Hao's other half, and the last hope of humanity, and some days he swears he can feel the shackles around his wrists and neck and the entity that is the families expectations on him, pulling to choke whenever he so much dares to contemplate the thought of leaving it all behind and escaping.

He is an Asakura, and the only Heir and Hao's other half, and the last hope of humanity and its oh so hard not to grin when Hao gives him the first choice in his life, and Yoh decides freedom means choosing who will hold the keys to those shackles.


	4. D: Done

"I'm done. I can't deal with this anymore." He says to you, guilt in his expression, but also relief. Something horrible has been lifted off his chest, why wouldn't he be relieved?

You nod, not bothering to argue, not bothering to fight. There's been enough fighting in your relationship already and the last thing you need is more.

There's an awkward moment when you think he's going to hug you, but then he just walks past you with a small sad smile and you can do nothing but brush a finger along his arm as he goes by.

"It was fun while it lasted, Yoh."

* * *

"I take it back!"

His friends stare at him like he's gone nuts and for all he knows, they might just be right. He glares at the Great Spirits and bares his teeth at them and clutches the blood soaked body demanding them to obey.

"Fix this! I saved you, doesn't that mean I won?? Fix this!"

But he is not the Shaman King and there is no changing what has already been done.

"_I take it back!"_


	5. E: Earring

Yoh remembered when his brother first got his ears pierced. Mikihasa (_not dad, never dad, he didn't deserve that title now, nor had he then_) had complained about it but had allowed it without a huge huff. Keiko had been dead long before then so her lovely input hadn't graced the conversation.

Yoh, however, had thought it was amazing. He used to stare at the holes (Hao hadn't had enough money to actually buy earrings for the holes, his odd jobs hadn't paid enough for the combination), wondering if they hurt, and once Hao had noticed. He'd smiled at Yoh and it almost seemed like he knew exactly what his little brother was thinking.

"You want to get yours pierced too?" Hao'd asked, leaning forward and trailing a finger along Yoh's earlobe (they'd been younger back then and that kind of touch hadn't become _wrong_ until later… or maybe it had, he'd just never realized…).

Yoh had shaken his head, reaching up to touch Hao's ear in return.

"No, I was just thinking that you'd look better with earrings to go with those holes." He'd replied and Hao had nodded.

"I have them. I'm just not wearing them." Yoh had known he was lying, but he didn't like to talk about their poverty anymore then Hao so he'd let the conversation drop.

Hao hadn't decided to actually show his earrings to Yoh until half a year later, and by then Yoh had lost interest in them… that was, until Hao had forced one of their sharp points through the tender flesh of his earlobe.

* * *

There is a brief moment of pain as he feels metal penetrating his skin and sliding through with surprising easiness, but the sensation is dim and unimportant when compared with the impossible heat of Hao's skin against his chest as the other leans in and removes it, replacing it with the round object on his hands.

"It's done." Hot breath against his ear and then an even hotter tongue lapping up the red trailing down the lobe, the alien feeling when he hears and feels it bump slightly against the silver, making him shudder.

He reaches up and touches the metal disk, giving it an experimental tug, surprised at the earring's lightness.

"I thought they'd be heavier to bear with."

Hao narrows his eyes in a cat-like expression of content, eyes still caught up on the droplets of red slowly trailing down the white star adorning the centre of the disk and seems unaware of the other's eyes looking up at him.

"They just look that way."


	6. F: Fuck

Anna always told him that what he did with Hao was fucking, and what he did with her was making love.

He believed her (because she was Anna, and he loved her) but he didn't see the difference. He didn't see what he did with Hao as being a bad thing like Anna did. It was just simply that. What he did with Hao.

It was… the same…?

Making love/Sex/Fucking/…???

Yoh preferred not to think about it, and simply enjoy what happened around… and in him.

* * *

Yoh tells himself they make love, and Hao says they have sex, but the truth is that all they ever do is fuck, fuck, fuck. 

Fuck their family and fuck their lives and especially fuck each other.


	7. G: Good

_I wish I was better. God help me to become a bet—I'm a good pers—help me! Good things happen to good pe—_

Hao closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. All the noise buzzing through his head… humans were always so predictable. Yearning for acceptance, and help, and hope.

A hand fell on his shoulder, squeezing lightly and making him turn a little to look at his younger brother. The shorter boy's expression was tinged with worry, but he was smiling to hide it… and Hao felt a disgustingly strong stab of anger in his stomach at his brother's thought (_I'm not good enough for them… He's not good enough for me…_).

He slapped the hand away, his eyes not moving from his twin's now hurt expression.

"Why did you…?"

"Because you're right."

* * *

If you could have had his way, maybe things would be simpler. Make a whole lot more of sense, and that was at least the young shaman's opinion.

Because, in what kind of world were good things supposed to hurt so much, be so bitter when the bad things felt so right, so perfect, so disgustingly wonderful?

It just wasn't fair Hao (the very _embodiment_ of wrong from his girly, stupidly soft hair to his scrawny, practically emaciated body and those ridiculous pants and crazy, haunting, gigantic earrings and lego shoes and and _and_….) would just have to walk past him for him to forget he has friends, fiancée and a duty to humanity to keep it from being barbequed as soon as his demented twin felt like it.

If Yoh could have his way Hao wouldn't smirk at him in that horrible knowing way and move just the right way they might have brushed skin had he wanted to and the other allowed himself it.

Because in a simpler, rational world, right wouldn't mean _torture_ and wrong wouldn't be what haunts his dreams and eats away his sanity.


	8. H: Hana

The baby smiled up at them with a child like joy, no teeth gaping past those lips.

Anna frowned, pressing a finger to the baby's lips. The child wrapped his tiny hands around that finger, pulling it into his mouth to suck on.

A drop of moisture trickled onto the baby's cheek and fell before it had a chance to dry. The child looked over to the boy (still a boy, not quite grown up yet) on the opposite side of the crib, leaning over him with a smile almost as bright as his own... but there was no joy there, no joy at all.

Anna refused to look at the boy across from her, eyes dry and serious as she watched the baby smile at him.

They didn't even know whose child it was. It had come from Anna's womb, but the producer of the, oh so _precious_ sperm was unknown.

Not that it mattered anymore. There was only one twin left now, so the burden would be forced onto him, whether it was truly his to bear or not.

* * *

Anna thinks he names their son Hana because it's a conjunction between both their names.

He lets her think that, and even lets himself be convinced of it… Most of the time.

Except when Hana stares up at him with eyes too old and too aware for a week old infant and he hates Anna for being so naive and hates himself for being so selfish.


	9. I: Incest

Yoh never talks to him at school. They sit in class (next to each other because the teacher thinks that twins are "so very cute together!") but Yoh remains silent, not even speaking through paper as so many of their classmates do.

Hao never looks at him at school. They pass each other in the halls, Hao surrounded by admirers and friends, while Yoh walks by alone, eyes downcast with a small smile on his lips.

Yoh never eats with Hao at school. He wanders to the back of the lunch room and sits with a group of people almost like him. Never like him, always almost.

Hao never touches Yoh at school. He flinches away from the casual brushes that happen when he and his brother walk through the door or stand out of their seats.

But at home it's different.

Yoh talks to Hao until Hao wants to slap a hand over his mouth to make it stop. Hao looks only at Yoh, because there _is _only Yoh. Yoh gulps down his food with lightning speed and smiles at Hao when he's done, asking for more. And Hao slides a finger along Yoh's cheek, pulling his closer.

Because things are ALWAYS different at home.

* * *

It was only after knowing Yoh for over a year that they find out he has a brother. It takes another year for them to find out it's a twin brother, and even then all they know is that his name is Hao. They are his best friends and Yoh is nice, but he is far from a communicative person.

Two years later they finally meet the older boy by chance at a party and the first thing they notice (only they don't really think back to it until much later, when it all makes sense) is that they don't touch, don't even brush against each other despite the fact the place is so crowded its impossible not to be shoved or pushed into anyone and Hao has his hand around a blonde girl's shoulders and Yoh's hand is holding Anna's.

The second is they never look away. Yoh smiles and Hao smirks and their eyes glare at each other and even when they talk to someone else their gaze never wavers.

Later on (much too late, they find out) the youngest one asks why did he never introduce them to his brother before and Yoh turns around with a sweet smile on his face and asks them what they think of his brother, and while the question is innocent enough there's nothing innocent in the brunette's expression and when Anna removes her hand he doesn't even seem to notice.

They stop mentioning Hao then, because somehow his name and the effect it has on Yoh makes the word seem too real.


	10. J: Jail

If life was fair then Hao would be locked up. Behind bars, jailed…

If life was fair.

But life wasn't fair and so Hao was free. _And_ he was powerful.

He got away with murder time after time and Yoh could do nothing but watch and hope that one day he'd be able to lock Hao away in the eternal prison of death. A prison sentence of 500 years seemed just about the right punishment for the crimes of his current life.

* * *

"I always thought I'd be the first one to go to jail." The older boy says, almost affectedly as he looks at his younger twin through the bars.

"Yeah, me too." The younger boy answers, smile twitching on his lips and tears threatening to spill as the guard unlocks the cell, and he practically lunges at his brother and clings to him in a death grip.

He wonders what the hell did Hao do this time to get the money and how are they letting him loose when he doesn't see their parents anywhere around and they both are still minors.

Hao flinches when his arms go around his waist and Yoh decides he doesn't want to know.


	11. K: Kappa

"And the Kappa was forced away from … …. … …" The rest of the sentence was blanked out for Yoh as he plopped his chin on his folded arms where they lay on his desk. His eyes closed with a sigh and the world went silent to him. Perfect for sleeping.

That is, until a hot breath whispered, "Don't fall asleep in class again, otouto. We wouldn't want you to get expelled." Yoh slid his lids open half way, looking at his brother out of the corner of his eye. He wondered briefly if Hao would do anything in the middle of class, the desks _did_ go down pretty far and would probably cover any _activities_.

But Yoh knew that Hao wasn't that kind of person. He cared about his reputation too much to—

The younger boy straightened when a hand trailed slowly along his inner thigh, inching towards his…

Yoh picked up his book again and propped it in front of his face, suddenly enraptured by the history of the kappa while secretly hiding a deep blush.

Hao just smiled next to him and raised his hand to answer a question that had just been asked.

* * *

When he passes the river there is a little kid around his age standing knee deep in the shallow, dirty river, apparently helping the kappa's pick up the trash, an almost funny purse on his lips and a red sort of spirit that looks like a mix between a human and a cat and a lizard stares at him with brilliant green eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asks curiously. The boy looks up and Yoh gets a weird feeling in his chest when he sees him, and for a moment feels tempted to go down and touch the other boy….

But the water really is too dirty and his grandfather will kill him if he ruins his new tennis shoes. The younger boy doesn't seem to mind getting his red, star-covered poncho stained in the dark waters.

"Cleaning the filth." The child answers after several seconds, a small clutter of miscellaneous pieces of trash in his arms. Yoh leans on the bridge and stares, kicking one of his legs idly.

"It's too dirty. You'll never be able to clean it alone."

The pale, sickly lake sprites look crestfallen, enough for the young boy to regret having said that, yet a smile appears on the long-haired boy's face, and Yoh thinks it is a very pretty one.

"Yes, I will." He says softly and holds up his hands to the human/cat/lizard thing and the trash in them suddenly is set ablaze, leaving behind nothing but ashes.


	12. L: Laughter

Hao never thought that he had a nice laugh. Not even when he was _being_ nice. It always sounded wrong to him.

So when Yoh smiles at him and tells him how pretty he sounds when he laughs… It always sounds wrong to him.

But he always smiles in response and says the same back, even if he doesn't really mean it.

* * *

Hao never really laughs.

His voice is soft and steady and oh so pleasant to the ears, it's soft, caressing quality almost making it a purr.

His voice is like silk and like flowing water and it calls attention onto it even when it's a soft murmur, attracts people like flies to honey and that's oh so like him.

But his laughter is too loud, too harsh and feels on the skin like nails on a chalkboard, the tone high, hysterical, deranged, and oh so horribly Hao, all everything he is under the silk and the honey and he never laughs because that is something he is supposed to keep to himself.

But then Yoh gets up yet again, when it's too late, when he can barely hold himself up, and Hao laughs and laughs.


	13. M: Murder

"Incest is an ugly word, otouto."

"…So is murder."

"…That's why I do it."

"Is that your excuse for incest too…?"

"Yes. What's yours?"

"I don't need one."

"…Do you need one for murder?"

"Yoh-kun! What are you doing…?"

"…Talking to myself."

* * *

Murder implies aforethought.

Means plotting and waiting and knowing when and why and how and be ready.

Murder means intentional killing.

He was born for it, and he has been plotting and planning for fifteen years, the why and how where there even before he had a chance to be and he's just been waiting for the when.

Murder means planned, express malice that is demanded from him, and all he feels is dread and horror as he plans and plots and waits, and his fingers trail down long silky hair.


	14. N: Numb

"Don't look at me like that."

Hao turns his head, glancing at the glaring younger boy next to him.

"…I wasn't even facing you, Yoh."

Yoh took a second to contemplate that, sliding to the soft green ground with no thought to the nasty stains it would leave on his pants, even through their plain black color.

"…I wasn't talking to you."

"Yoh… Stand up."

Yoh didn't respond to that, just lifted his knees up to his chin, eyes blank as he stared at the grey before him.

Hao didn't try to persuade his brother again, instead grabbing his arm and yanking him to his feet. The older boy swung around, dragging his twin behind him, flowers still clutched tightly between the younger boy's fingers with no chance to rest on his beloved's grave.

* * *

The sword slides in with almost ridiculous ease and his eyes are no longer in that relaxed, half closed expression that irritates him so much, but wide and terrified and fixed on him as he slides several more inches of raw, burning Furyoku through his other half and the edge cuts straight into him. 

"N-no…!" The younger boy croaks as he grips the other's wrist and tries to force the other's hand to move backwards, everything in him denying the futility of that act and gripping to the false hope of it all being some horrible mistake, but there is none, and Hao keeps pushing inch after inch despite the other's attempt until Yoh's hand falls limply, shortly followed by his body.

"I'm sorry." Hao whispers affectedly… But the truth is he feels absolutely nothing, and he can't help but wonder if that on itself isn't a bad enough thing.


	15. O: One

Hao smirked at Yoh as his arms wrapped around a young brunette's waist, grinding their hips together sensually.

Yoh was smirking too, in the back of his mind.

Because Hao talked a lot when he was drunk.

And Yoh knew now that _he_ was his brother's only one.

* * *

"What's it like?"

Hao looks up, staring at his younger brother curiously.

"Being complete." Clarifies the younger boy, looking down at the soles of his shoes. He isn't Hao and Hao isn't him, but they both are Hao, or were supposed to be and somehow they aren't, not in the right way.

He's always had a part of him missing, his brother at least knew what being a whole was like.

"…Well?" insist the younger boy, nerves making his voice waver. "What's it like-?"

Yoh feels arm wrap around his chest and Hao's lean body press against his back, his own frame shuddering lightly as Hao's warm breath sneaks under his shirt.

"Should I show you…?"

Yoh hesitates.


	16. P: Paint

"What color, do you think?" Hao asked, examining the wall with one hand on his hip. The sadly white wall in front of his glared back in its brightness.

Yoh blinked behind him, looking up at his brother from the floor.

"…Uh, white?"

Hao sent an unamused look back at the younger boy, flipping his hair over his shoulder.

Yoh smiled, leaning back on his hands.

"Why do you wanna paint it, anyway? We could be doing so many better things…" He fluttered his lashes in a decidedly suggestive way.

Another unamused look.

"Aa… Fine." Yoh hopped up energetically, looking at the wall (which he personally saw no problem with). "Um… how about brown?"

"Do you _really_ want our wall to look like shit?" Hao said over his shoulder, making Yoh wince at the harshness.

"How about… purple?"

"No."

"Pink?"

"NO."

"…White?"

"YOH!"

"ALRIGHT! Alright… Orange? I like orange… It reminds me of orang—"

Hao snapped around, eye twitching. "If you're not going to take this seriously then _go away_."

"But Onii-chan…" Yoh was suddenly right in front of Hao, smiling brightly. "I don't want to…"

Hao back away a step, which only made Yoh respond with a step forward. The older frowned, lifting a hand to stop his brother's progress. It didn't do much, however, as Yoh just advanced another step, slamming his hands on either side of Hao's face.

"There really are so many better things to be doing…" He whispered, leaning over his twin as the older boy slid down the wall a little. The hand dropped from Yoh's chest, hanging limply at Hao's side.

"Yoh… Not now."

"Yes now. What better time?" Yoh laughed, taking a strand of Hao's hair between his lips and biting softly. The older boy's face flushed as he stared up at his brother, fingers itching to touch the younger twin.

"Anytime other then now." Hao muttered thickly, he dropped fully to the floor, and Yoh followed, dropping the hair from his mouth and crouching down, hands still on either side of Hao's head.

"Hmm… I think now is the BEST time"

Hao's hands searched around him, grabbing the first thing he found. He tossed its contents on the younger boy, coating him in a bright green paint.

Yoh blinked, eyes wide.

"Wha…?"

It was Hao's turn to smile as he stood again, looking down at Yoh as he blinked up rabidly in confusion, paint sliding all over him.

"I guess we're not going to be using the green paint." The older boy said smugly, walking past him. He stopped right before reaching the door, turning around to find that Yoh had finally swiveled around to watch him, his mouth gaping.

"Oh, and Yoh, make sure to clean up before you get high." And with that he swept out the door with at least a little dignity still in tact.

* * *

The thin brush trails down his cheek, the black paint cold and wet making him think of a tongue and there is a faint scowl on his face before being carefully smoothed over. The young (too young) boy's factions are exquisite, delicate and oh so enticing with dark chocolate eyes and soft tanned skin, impossible silky hair carefully gathered with a silver barrette as his frail hand hesitates over a small wooden jar.

His eyes move up to the mirror and look behind him, to the small form huddled on the bed with the covers up to his neck, not high enough to hide finger-shaped bruises that mar it.

The thin brush is dipped in the not-quite black contents of the jar and carefully retraces the well known symbols night after night he paints on his own skin, an innocent smile on his lips, and when the call comes, he doesn't look back and the other's eyes don't follow.

By the time the Lord is found with green foam coming from his mouth and black stains on his tongue, the twins are nowhere to be found.


	17. Q: Question

Yoh had so many questions about their relationship.

Was it right? Was okay? Should they be doing this? Would the others understand? What if they didn't? How could they explain it? Would they get caught?

The list went on and on.

But to Hao, only one question mattered.

"Do you love me?"

* * *

He likes the song.

"_Sweet berries ready for two ghosts are no different than you…"_

It's hard to admit, even to himself, but he does like it. He likes it a lot.

"_Ghosts are now waiting for you, are you...?"_

The music is annoying and the lyrics make no sense, but he understands them (_part_ of him understands them, or thinks it does) and he can't get it out of his mind, doesn't want it out of his mind.

"_Sweet berries ready for two ghosts are no different than you…."_

Almost thoughtfully he plucks a blackberry from the tree and takes it to his lips, feeling the tangy, citrus flavor of it. It's not the right season yet, and for some reason that makes him smile at his red-stained fingers before licking one, his other hand reaching for another.

"…_Ghosts are now waiting for you, Are you...Dreaming…" _

His voice is barely a whisper, the barest depth on it for him to be able to carry the tune as his eyes follow a boy that could be him (but not, is not, could never be) walking towards another of the trees, seemingly oblivious to his presence as he reaches for one of small red berries.

"_Dreaming the night_…"

There is a small flicker of a frown on the other's face as he finishes chewing on the small fruit, forgotten as he picks another two and eats them as well, finally rising his eyes and meeting the equal pair set on him, almost nervously taking a nibble from one of them.

"_Dreaming all right…"_

It leaves a red stain on his other's lips, and he licks his own and thinks he might understand the song more than he thinks, but maybe not like it as much anymore.


	18. R: Ribbon

A white ribbon for friendship and a red ribbon for love.

That's how it went at Funbari Academy.

A white ribbon for you, my dear. Oh, and one for you? Alright, love.

Hao gave them out without a thought. He loved having friends. He loved having people _want_ to be his friend. He never wore the ones they gave him, but he accepted them none the less.

Yoh gave them out as well. After a long period of thought and examination. He loved having friends… but they had to be worth the time and effort. They had to be REAL. They had to be IMPORTANT to him. But never did one of their ribbons grace his neck or wrist, no matter what.

And, of course, Hao gave a white ribbon to Yoh. And Yoh gave one to Hao. They were brothers, after all.

Those were the special ribbons.

A white ribbon for their necks… and a red ribbon for their wrists, unseen from under their uniform jackets until they took them off at night, and then there was no one to see except them.

* * *

"String." 

"What?"

Yoh looks up from his brother's hand to find Hao giving him one of his typical 'you are stupid' looks.

"Red string. That's what supposed to go between two people…" He trails off, as usual unable to finish such a sentence and looks down at the red ribbon his brother is trying to tie to is little finger. "Red string." He says finally. "Not red ribbons with little drawings on them."

Yoh's expression falls for a second, before the frown disappears only to be replaced with a brilliant smile.

"But if I had used thread, it couldn't have been big enough for you to see the stars on it."

Hao says nothing to that, but that's what lets Yoh know Hao agrees.


	19. S: Sensation

"Cold?" Hao slid a glance at Yoh, a smirk on his lips.

Yoh snapped his head back to glare at his brother, but Hao's smirk just got wider in response and he quickened his pace to catch up with the younger boy ahead of him.

"Don't be mad at me, Yoh. You got us into this, not me." He said once he was side by side with his twin.

Yoh scoffed, shaking his head lightly and sending snow flying everywhere. It hadn't been HIS idea to go out into the snow (well, not entirely). It hadn't been HIS idea to wander through the streets (well, maybe just a little). And it hadn't been HIS idea to try and go to the graveyard in 5 inch deep snow (well, that might have been his idea, but that wasn't the point).

Now they were lost, unable to tell one street from another, somewhere in a city where everything was boarded up or closed.

"Come on, otouto, it's not as bad as you make it out to be. We'll get there eventually."

"What if we freeze to death?" Yoh pouted, crossing his arms across his chest.

Hao simply raised an eyebrow at that.

"Well… it could happen!"

The older boy laughed, the sound echoing through the empty streets. "I'm sure it could."

"Don't make fun of me!" Yoh exclaimed, stopping to turn towards his brother, glare still on his face.

Hao stopped as well, facing the younger boy with a closed eyed grin.

"I would never dream of mocking you, Yoh." He reached out, fast as a whip, and grabbed Yoh's arm tightly, sending a stab of discomfort to the shorter boy's brain.

"…Let go…" He muttered, stepping closer to Hao.

"You don't sound very convincing." The fire shaman tightened his grip on Yoh's arm even more, yanking the younger boy to him and wrapping his free arm around his brother's waist once he was close enough.

"You know…" Yoh stopped for a second, looking around at the white, barren street. "Nobodies around… probably they're all at home…"

"And what does it matter if they're not?" Hao smirked once again, pressing his face into the younger boy's neck, making him shiver from more then the cold.

"…Exactly."

* * *

The music is too loud, up to the point it shakes the entire foundations of the building, and he can feel the vibrations in the soles of his tennis shoes and down his back and pounding inside his head as his back meets harsh brick.

Fingers twine between his because he never dares touch anywhere else, but his jean-clad hips move of their own accord and his crotch rubs against another matching hardness and he feels warmth and _want_ pool down and moans and whines against daiquiri-sweet lips.

His eyes are closed to protect them from the stabbing pain of acid green lights and ultraviolet purples and neon oranges and dark, dark eyes and smirking lips and reality, and he is afraid the dark won't be enough to hide, is afraid someone in the writhing mass of sweaty bodies will stop long enough to _look_…


	20. T: Time

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

Hao had always been bad at keeping track of time. There had always only been one time that was important to him. And that time only happened every 500 years.

At least until…

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock

Yoh, if it was possible, was even worse with time. He slept through alarms, blanked out when he looked at a clock. There was nothing important enough to him to actually keep track of what time it was at.

tick tock tick tock tick tock

Hao laughed, high and happy.

And you'd have to be Yoh to hear the tinge of panic in it.

tick tock tick tock tick tock

Yoh laughed as well, causing splatters of red to color the grinning face of his brother.

tick tock tick tock tick tock

Hao wiped his face of the red, giggling while he did and turning his head to look at the ominous clock on the wall.

Tick Tock Tick Tock Tick Tock

"What time is it…?"

TICK TOCK TICK TOCK TICK TOCK

"It doesn't matter."

But it would always matter to him. Time would move on, the clock would still tick, but to Hao time paused then, and the clocks were always a second behind after.

And to Yoh time stopped then, and the clocks never started again after.

DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING DING

"Good night, otouto."

* * *

He counts backwards. 

It's always been a compulsion for him, counting the right way always seeming to hold a sort of futility he doesn't understand and never dares question. There are 24 hours in a day, and each of them has 60 minutes and each minute is composed of 60 seconds, and he always counts back,

_59, 58, 57…_

Time is infinite and the days have 24 hours and they can think that all they want, but he'll still count backwards and think there is not enough time, and counting the right way is useless, because someday there won't be more hours and the time will stop for him.

_33, 32, 31, 30…_

Hao passes him by and the words that leave his lips are 'little brother', and the tics slow and stop and he understands.

_5, 4, 3, 2, 1…_

Time's up.


	21. U: Unknown

People always fear the unknown.

At least that's what people always say.

It's what his mother told him when he met his first spirit (_Why is there blood coming out of her head…? A ghost isn't supposed to have blood, right? …She's not dead ye--_). It's what his grandfather told him on his first day of school (_did you hear about that new kid? He talks to himself ALL THE TIME!! Hahaha It's so weird! And yesterday, he started screaming about ghosts in the middle of class!_).

He'd heard it everywhere he went, as a joke, as a lecture… so many times.

But nobody could really understand the weight of those words until they _became_ the unknown.

* * *

Hao is between his legs, mouth firmly wrapped around him as he bucks and whimpers, not even remembering how they ended up like this and not caring. 

"Hao…"

"Call me Asaha."

There's an odd expression on his brother's face as he moves to straddle his younger twin's lap, barely showing his discomfort as Yoh slides in with a moan, barely aware when Hao wraps his hands around his neck and nuzzles him almost hesitantly.

"W-wh…?"

"...No one calls me like that anymore."

Yoh wonders, but doesn't dare ask.


	22. V: Values

There was always a scale in Yoh's mind. One thing of value on each side.

For a long time, SPIRITS had been the label of the left side of the scale. Because the winner of the tip always went on the left. Then he'd met Manta and FRIENDS had suddenly appeared on the scale, shifting quickly to the left side and staying there.

It took nearly two years for something to come into his mind that competed with FRIENDS… and that had been HAO.

It took him another three days for the scale to finally tip.

And, of course, it had tipped to the predictable, to the known. The scale had tipped to FRIENDS and Yoh had stabbed Amidamaru's sword straight through his brother's stomach.

* * *

The day Tamao crosses the Asakura threshold she finds herself immersed in a world apart, with different rules from the real one, where the twisted reality of its inhabitants destroys what are supposed to be the moral values of the world and reality becomes a distant memory that can only be recalled in the twilight seconds before down.

The grandfather draws in and with sand and starts again whenever the wind destroys hours of intricate, obsessive work. The grandmother's milky eyes follow her son-in-law's every step whenever the wooden mask shifts to look at the young girl, while Keiko's hands are always covered in white bandages to the tips of her fingers and she has to pick up the needles and razors that always clatter in the sink, always perfectly clean and reeking of bleach, and the unnatural, ivory beauty of the heir's fiancée is destroyed by the dry, chipped lips that break and bleed if she so much as twists her mouth into any kind of expression or even dares breathe a word.

But it isn't until she sees the youngest twin beckon her from over his brother's shoulders as he writhes in the older boy's lap that she escapes from the decadency of the sick, dying bloodline, and their matching, combined laughter chases her long after the house is out of her sight.


	23. W: Wanted

When Hao became Shaman King he got everything he'd ever wanted. Unlimited power, eternal youth, the destruction of the human race, and least of all, a loyal companion.

Yoh.

Yoh, who was unhappy over the death of his friends. Yoh, who was angry over the death of most of the world's population. Yoh, who whimpered underneath him.

Yes, he was defiantly _least_.

* * *

There are only two kinds of people in this world, thinks Hao. The one that do and the ones that get done. 

Some people want to own and others want to be owned, some want to use you and others want to get uses by you, some want to want and some want to be wanted, and that's allright.

Hao wants the younger boy.

And what Hao wants, he gets.


	24. X: XY

He'd always thought that his brother was feminine, with his long hair and his pretty features. The way he'd walked, the way his voice sounded… Yes, he'd always had a touch of femininity.

But that didn't bother Yoh, especially now, with the odd change of events. He thought that his brother was better this way.

With soft curves and even softer skin.

* * *

Hao understands math and logic, and as both are predicable and always stay the same, he likes them.

If X --> Y and Y --> Z, then it's obvious to assume that X -->Z.

Yoh, finds his brother, has a way to defy that rule and throw sense and logic out of the window, because Yoh hates Hao, and Hao despises Yoh, and they are enemies, which should make things simple, easy, even predictable.

The younger boy leans and presses a soft kiss against his lips and threatens to destroy that carefully laid out rule and the very founding of Hao's suddenly all-too frail reality.

But is far too late and his brother's logic is not to be defied.


	25. Y: You

You call it manipulating.

You call _me_ manipulating.

But I don't laugh, because I know you don't mean it as a joke. Your mouth is smiling, but you're gripping my hand a little too tight and the line at the corner of your mouth is twitching just enough to be off.

You call me manipulating.

I call you controlling.

But I don't really care. It's just you and me, no one else. And I'm not brave enough to find someone new.

* * *

"You are a vain, moody, attention-starved freak. You buy compulsively and put too much soy sauce on the food and never return the CD's you borrow and you always leave my room a mess even when you barely let me enter yours and you can't cook anything without starting a fire. You have no idea how to wash or clean or do any chore in the house! You are a bitchy, selfish, cranky, self-centered, cruel, sadistic, violent bastard that enjoys torturing others and getting into fights and causing troubles and thinks that he can just walk away from them by looking pretty and lying!"

The older boy looks up from the magazine, blinking uninterestedly at him.

"…Your point?"

Yoh nearly slapped himself. He thought it should be obvious by now!

"Who else but _me_ is gonna stand all of that?"


	26. Z: Zero tolerance

In the future world, life would be perfect. In the future world, nothing would ever go wrong. There would be no silly Indians (or _native Americans_ as culture had dictated it was proper to call them) not believing that he alone knew the truth, nor would there be men, with long cold fingers that liked to come to him while he slept (or pretended to, clamping his eyes shut so tight that he could almost pretend that it wasn't happened, that nothing was wrong), no small, insignificant twin with his reaching hands (_I just want to help you, I'll save you from yourself_ IDON'TNEEDPITYANDIDON'TNEEDHELP) and sneering friends who always thought they were better then him when they WEREN'T and they didn't deserve the right to think so, those stupid idiotic tiny…

…….

No… it would all be perfect.

…He would tolerate nothing less.

* * *

They are only allowed to speak when others are present, and they are never, ever allowed to touch. 

That's how things work in the Asakura household –the grownups say and the children bow their head and answer nothing- because that's how things work inside that house and even at ages five, seven, eleven, thirteen, they are too smart to openly defy the unspoken rule.

Listen, obey, make sure not to defy the permanently staring eyes- all those things the twins know all too well, and as long as they abide by them, they won't have to be separated.

Sometimes Yoh looks up at his brother, and Hao's stare is still fixed on his plate, and that pleases the grownups.

And sometimes Hao slips into Yoh's room, and no one but his brother knows that when he bends his head it is only to hide a smirk.

After all, submission brings within itself the need to oppose to it.

* * *

_**Author's notes**:_

_Well, that's it. We hope you have liked these drabbles and stay tuned for whatever we upload next (an actual story, most likely). We do have more drabbles, and were planning on uploading them as well, but the truth is that the poor reception kind of turned us off -according to our stats, we have had over a thousand views on the fic, and yet only a few people were kind enough to leave a comment. We are saddest because of that, but yeah, hopfully we'll have better luck next time?_

_Thanks to everyone who did review and encourage us so far, we hope you have liked this ABC! _


	27. Parting words from the team

This is _Panur_, one half of the team that did this ABC. Unfortunately for everyone who liked this series (including me, who loved it) Kya has changed fandoms and is no longer interested in continuing to produce stuff related to Shaman King, or at least not with me.

I'm going to keep this account because it has really good memories, despite all, and because I seriously like the username, but from now on, the stories made here will be either mine alone, or a combination of my work with my other RP partners. I'm always open to new ideas and playing rp, so if anyone is interested, don't doubt in contacting me, I'd be more than happy to at least give it a try, so feel free to drop me a note or contact me. Also: I own two clubs, one in Livejournal and one over at InsaneJournal, both dedicated to the Asakura twins, so if you are interested in talking with fellow fans, or just read the doujinshi we share there, feel free to join! (just remember to read the rules). All the information needed can be found over at the profile page.

Either way, thank you all so much for all the support until now, and I hope to still see you in the future!

**P****anur**


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